From Band-aide to Premium Roofing – Coatings VS Roof Coating Systems
At long last. It’s time to celebrate the recognition that roof coatings make amazing roof systems and retire the misconception that coatings are for a quick fix.
Roof coatings have long been thought of as patch and repair ‘band-aide” products. Leaving the commercial roof system demands to the familiar; Built-Up Roofing, Modified and Single-Ply plastics.
But think of it, if coatings are good enough to fix the problems on those types of roofs wouldn’t it be a brilliant product to use them FOR the entire roof?
Western Colloid has always taken the ‘systems’ approach because long ago they realized that roof coatings, when done right, make a great roof. They are among a tiny group of roofing pioneers that figured out how to make those out of fluid applied products.
Our founders figured out such a system and for 50 years have been restoring roofs and converting contractors one by one.
Why did it take so long to make the switch? Let’s face it, the roofing industry is slow to adopt. What we have been manufacturing and promoting for over 50 years is now on the forefront of “new” technology. We feel like the actor that has been pounding the pavement for many years that is now the overnight sensation.
Now everyone is in the coatings business. Most of the major commercial roofing manufacturers have a roof coating line. Because of the scurry to jump on the band wagon there are many coating products currently sold today that do more harm than good.
Any product you must use a respirator to apply can’t be good for the contractor, tenants or the environment. Toxic products that end up in landfills are still being used today. There are products being installed today that you cannot repair or recoat. Imagine the nightmare if your roof product fails and it cannot be repaired?
Some coating products that are being applied today, are good up front but don’t last and have long-term ramifications. Please trust a company with history. One that has been around longer than the warranties they provide. Longevity and a track record, should be the buyer’s piece of mind.
It’s taken companies like Western Colloid to make products for over five decades to show proof that fluid-applied, reinforced roof systems make a terrific watertight roof. It’s because of our history and the resilience of our roofing products that contractors and building owners are feeling the confidence to consider this method of roof protection. I guess that makes Western Colloid a pioneer and an overnight sensation.
We’ve always joked that Western Colloid was “Cool” before “cool roofing” was “cool!”
So, what do coatings do? They provide a roof system where everyone is a winner. Contractor, Building Owner, General, Tenant and Mother Nature.
Western Colloid, long live the grand-daddy of them all!
#smartroof
What are roof coatings?
Roof coatings are designed for protecting and extending the useful service life of roof assemblies for new construction and more commonly, existing roof coverings, such as BUR, metal, modified bitumen, single ply membranes, and spray polyurethane foam.
Roof coatings are thicker than paint and have a higher solids content. Roof coatings are formulated to protect roofs from the damaging effects of weather and the environment, such as UV light, and excessive water and wind. They are formulated to provide protection for many years and are also extremely elastic; they typically contain a high level of top-quality resin. The high-quality resins and the volume of resins introduced during manufacturing allow the coating to maintain its elastic properties throughout its life cycle. Once cured, these resins form an elastomeric and durable film, which provides an additional measure of waterproofing and allows the roof coating to bridge small cracks and membrane seams found on roofs. Unlike paint, which is typically applied in portions of a gallon per 100 square feet, roof coatings are applied in terms of multiple gallons per 100 square feet.
Credit to the Roof Coating Manufacturer Association
